In the photographic processing of photosensitive materials for color photography, the recent demand for quick print delivery and reduced commercial laboratory work load has made it necessary to reduce the photographic processing time. While the commonest approach to shortening of processing time is to increase the processing temperature and/or the replenishment rate, many other procedures such as intensified agitation, addition of accelerators, have been proposed.
Particularly, for insuring rapid color development and/or reducing the replenishment rate, the use of a color photosensitive material employing a silver chloride emulsion in lieu of the conventional silver bromide and silver iodide emulsions has been proposed. By way of example, PCT WO 87-04534 discloses a rapid processing technique in which a chloride-rich silver halide color photosensitive material is treated with a color developer which is substantially free from sulfite ions and benzyl alcohol. However, this method is disadvantageous in that continuous processing tends to result in variations in photographic characteristics, particularly in sensitivity and gradation, according to changes in processing load. Furthermore, if the developer replenishment rate is decreased, the chloride ion level in the developer is progressively increased to interfere with maintenance of the photographic characteristics of the chloride-rich silver halide photosensitive material.
Rapid processing methods using such chloride-rich silver halide color photosensitive materials are described in PCT WO 87-04534 and JP-A-58-75345, JP-A-59-232341 and JP-A-61-70552 (the term "JP-A" herein used means "unexamined Japanese patent publication"). In these processes wherein photographic processing is performed at a chloride ion concentration not exceeding 3.0.times.10.sup.-2 moles/l and at the recommended developer replenishment rate, stable rapid processing can be accomplished when the processing load is sufficiently high. However, it has been found that if the developer replenishment rate is reduced or if, when the processing load is small, the chloride ion concentration of the developer is increased to inhibit an increase in fog, the variation in photographic characteristics due to changes in the concentrations of other processing chemicals will be markedly increased.